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2011-12 New Jersey Devils season
The New Jersey Devils 2011–12 season was the 38th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 30th season since the franchise relocated to New Jersey to start the 1982–83 NHL season. The Devils hoped to return to the playoffs after having their long playoff streak snapped the previous year. While finishing fourth in the strong Atlantic division, they did rank sixth in the Eastern Conference, thus securing a playoff berth, and first round match-up against the Southeast division-winning Florida Panthers. Offseason The focus of the Devils during the 2011 offseason was on finding a new coach and player signings. The main focus of the team was resigning Zach Parise and signing 4th-overall 2011 pick Adam Larsson to an entry level contract, although team CEO and general manager Lou Lamoriello did find the time to sign goaltender Johan Hedberg and defenseman Andy Greene as well. Additionally, the team chose to suspend operations of the Trenton Devils, which was a minor league ECHL club that the team had used for player development, citing declining fan interest in the team and a desire to bring the organization more in line with other NHL organizations in terms of minor league affiliations. The Devils announced the hiring of Peter DeBoer as the new head coach of the team on July 19, 2011. Pre-season On June 30, 2011, the New Jersey Devils announced that they would play six games during the pre-season. There were three home games at the Prudential Center against the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and Philadelphia Flyers. They also played two road games, one against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum and one against the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. One neutral site game against the Rangers took place at the Times Union Center, located in Albany, New York. Playoffs The Devils clinched their 20th playoff berth in 22 seasons with a 5 - 0 Win over the Carolina Hurricanes on March 31, 2012. They finished the regular season with 102 points, finishing 4th in the Atlantic Division and 6th in the Eastern Conference. They beat the Florida Panthers in 7 games, with a game winning goal in double overtime from rookie Adam Henrique. They went on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in 5 games, and beat the New York Rangers in 6 games with another overtime goal from Henrique, winning their first Eastern Conference Championship since their 2003 run. The playoff run for the Devils concluded with a loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, 4 games to 2. Standings Schedule and results Preseason |} Regular season |- | November (Games: 14; Home: 6; Road: 8) (Record: 8–6–0; Home: 3–3–0; Road: 5–3–0) |- | December (Games: 14; Home: 7; Road: 7) (Record: 9–5–0; Home: 5–2–0; Road: 4–3–0) |- | January (Games: 12; Home: 7; Road: 5) (Record: 6–4–2; Home: 3–3–1; Road: 3–1–1) |- | February (Games: 13; Home: 7; Road: 6) (Record: 8–4–1; Home: 3–2–1; Road: 5–2–0) |- | March (Games: 17; Home: 8; Road: 9) (Record: 10–5–2; Home: 6–1–1; Road: 4–4–1) |- | April (Games: 3; Home: 2; Road: 1) (Record: 3–0–0; Home: 2–0–0; Road: 1–0–0) |} Playoffs |} Win Loss Win Playoff Series Player stats Skaters Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes |} |} Goaltenders |} |} †Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Devils. Stats reflect time with Devils only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Devils only. Awards and records Awards Records Milestones Transactions The Devils have been involved in the following transactions during the 2011–12 season. Trades |} Free agents signed Free agents lost Claimed via waivers Lost via waivers Player signings Draft The New Jersey Devils participated in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, located at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 24, 2011. Devils CEO, president, and general manager Lou Lamoriello, described as being "thrilled" at the chance to draft him, selected 6–3, 197 pounds Swedish defenseman Adam Larsson 4th overall. This was the Devils' highest pick in the draft since selecting Scott Niedermayer third overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. ;Notes Final roster Updated June 6, 2012. |} See also * 2011–12 NHL season References Category:New Jersey Devils seasons New Jersey Devils season, 2011–12 Category:Eastern Conference (NHL) championship seasons